June deadline for India to confirm participation in Asia Cup in Pakistan

The 2020 Asia Cup is set to be held in Pakistan and India’s participation in the international tournament remains a question. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already set June 2020 deadline for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to confirm its participation.

The Asia Cup is scheduled in September next year in Pakistan.

“We need to see if India agrees to come to Pakistan for the Asia Cup. There is still some time till next year’s September but by June, we have to know where we are going with this and if it can’t be hosted here because of a lack of involvement of India,” PCB CEO Wasim Khan was quoted as saying by PTI.

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However, the report said, the final decision to shift the tournament will be Asian Cricket Council’s prerogative. “But that is a decision for the Asian Cricket Council and the ICC to make. We are ready to have India in the Asia Cup,” Khan said.

Khan also acknowledged that there are practical problems in having bilateral cricketing ties with India in the prevailing strenuous relationship between the two neighbours.

“Board to board level, we share a good relation with India but they have a lot of government interference and we can’t keep on running after them to play a bilateral series. If they want to play they will have to tell us and give us a firm commitment. We have no issues playing at a neutral venue,” Khan was quoted as saying.

(With inputs from agencies)